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Fish, Maghreb and Middle East

Sayadieh, fish and onion rice

Sayadieh is a Lebanese dish of white fish served over brown rice cooked with caramelized onions, cumin, almonds, and pine nuts. This recipe serves 4, takes 65 minutes, and is rated medium difficulty, at a cost of €4.40 per serving. The key to getting it right is caramelizing the onions slowly so they color and sweeten the whole pot of rice.

Lebanese sayadieh, white fish over brown rice with caramelized onions and cumin, topped with almonds and pine nuts.

Sayadieh, fish and onion rice
Total time
1 h 05
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€4.40
Calories per person
730 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall, Summer
The kids
They generally like it

Sayadieh stands out for its brown rice, almost smoky in color, even though no colored spice goes into it. That deep shade comes entirely from onions cooked down slowly until amber, then stirred into the rice with their sweet juices. The fish, lightly floured and pan seared, stays firm under a thin golden crust, and the cumin ties everything together without ever taking over.

This dish takes a bit of organization but no real technique, perfect for a Sunday when you have time to let the onions cook unhurried. At Mon Chou, we like recipes like this one that break up the weekly routine without scaring off kids, thanks to a mild fish like cod and rice that tastes almost like salted caramel. The almonds and pine nuts toasted at the end add the crunch that makes the whole dish work.

The ingredients

4 people

Fish counter

  • Cod or hake fillets 800 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 5
  • Lemon 1

Pantry

  • Long grain riceoften in the pantry 320 g
  • Ground cuminoften in the pantry 2 tsp
  • Cinnamonoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Slivered almonds 40 g
  • Pine nuts 30 g
  • Oiloften in the pantry 6 tbsp
  • Flouroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Fish, Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Thinly slice the onions and let them brown slowly in half the oil for more than twenty minutes. 25 min

    A bit of sugar and some warm water halfway through speed up the caramelization.

  2. Season the fish fillets with cumin, salt, and pepper, dust them lightly with flour, and pan sear them in the remaining oil.

    Let the crust form before flipping the fish, it will release on its own.

  3. Remove half the caramelized onions, add the rinsed rice and cumin to the remaining onions, and cover with hot salted water.

    The rice takes on the brown color from the onion juices, so don't rinse them.

  4. Cook covered over very low heat until the rice has absorbed the water. 18 min

    Avoid lifting the lid, the steam finishes the cooking.

  5. Toast the almonds and pine nuts in a dry pan, plate the rice, top with the fish, add the onions and nuts, and serve with lemon.

    Pine nuts toast fast, one minute over medium heat is enough.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick onions that are nice and yellow and slice them thin and even, they caramelize more evenly that way.
  • Rinse the rice in cold water before cooking so it stays separate once mixed with the onions.
  • Toast the almonds and pine nuts in a dry pan with no oil, and stay close by since they burn fast.

The variations

  • Swap the cod for sea bass or sea bream if you find a firm white fish at a good price that day.
  • For a vegetarian version, skip the fish and double the onion rice, served with warm chickpeas.
  • For kids in a hurry, cut the fish into small pieces before pan searing, it cooks faster and is easier to eat.

What to serve it with

  • A fresh cucumber and tomato salad
  • Plain yogurt or labneh
  • Warm pita bread

Storage

Store the rice and fish separately in the fridge for 2 days in an airtight container. Sayadieh doesn't freeze well since the fish loses its texture. Reheat the rice in a pan with a splash of water, and warm the fish gently in the oven so it doesn't dry out.

Questions about this dish

Can you use a different fish than cod?

Yes, any firm white fish like hake, sea bass, or bream works well. Avoid very thin fillets since they tend to fall apart in the pan.

Why should the rice turn brown?

That color comes from the sweet juice of slowly caramelized onions, not from a spice. It's a sign the onions cooked down fully and passed their flavor into the rice.

Can you make the caramelized onions ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook them the day before and keep them in the fridge. Warm them gently before mixing them into the rice.

Can the cumin be swapped out?

You can use less if you're cooking for young kids who aren't used to spices. Cinnamon adds a milder note and is enough to flavor the rice on its own.

How long does it take to make a sayadieh, fish and onion rice?

Count 1 h 05 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a sayadieh, fish and onion rice?

About 730 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a sayadieh, fish and onion rice cost?

About €4.40 per serving, or €17.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains fish, tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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